Stephen Hawking

Carl Sagan

Stephen William Hawking

Stephen Hawking has earned a reputation as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein. In this landmark volume, Professor Hawking shares his blazing intellect with nonscientists everywhere, guiding us expertly to confront the supreme questions of the nature of time and the universe. Was there a beginning of time? Will there be an end? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? From Galileo and Newton to modern astrophysics, from the breathtakingly cast to the extraordinarily tiny, Professor Hawking leads us on an exhilarating journey to distant galaxies, black holes, alternate dimensions--as close as man has ever ventured to the mind of God. From the vantage point of the wheelchair from which he has spent more than twenty years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Stephen Hawking has transformed our view of the universe. Cogently explained, passionately revealed, "A Brief History of Time is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge: the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.

From the Big Bang to Black Holes

A Brief History of Time

"One can imagine that God created the universe at literally anytime in the past. On the other hand, if the universe is really expanding, they may be physical reasons why there had to be beginning."

"An expanding universe does not preclude a creator, but it does place limits on when he might carried out his job!"

"Today scientist describe the universe in terms of two basic partial theories-- the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. They are the great intellectual achievements of the first half of the century." 

"One of the major endeavor of physics today is to search for a new theory that will incorporate them both-- a quantum theory of gravity." 

My note: General relativity explains big things like space, time and gravity. Meanwhile, quantum mechanics explains small things like atoms and particles. Combining both will give understanding of black holes and first second of the Big Bang. 

A Brief History of Time quotes

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